Iridescent
by MissHazelGreen
Summary: REVISED 1/7/17! Penelope understood from a young age that she was strange. She never knew how different she was until stumbling into the arms of the Jedi Order. Now a Jedi Knight she must confront her past and sins, while helping her fellow Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker face his demons. Will she succeed or will she succumb to the dark side?
1. Chapter 1

**(1/7/17) Hello, I am back! I truly am sorry for the long, long wait. I had lost my motivation to continue with this story, unhappy with the way it was written and just lost with what to do. After some recent changes in my life I'm extremely motivated to get this story off the ground again. I rewrote the first 4 chapters, some details were added, others removed and saved for later. If you are new to this story, here are something you will need to know: 1) This will be an Anakin/OC story, but will not occur immediately; 2) Anakin and Padme were never married in this story; 3) This will not be a bash Padme fan fiction. She will actually play an important role in the story and Penelope and Anakin's relationship; 4) This story will follow loosely what happened in the movies.**

 **FYI the cover image is how I envisioned Penelope to look. Yes, I visualized her looking like the actress Alexandra Daddario.**

 **I apologize in advance for grammar and spelling errors! I am trying my best to spot and fix them. If you have any feedback positive or negative, please let me know so I can improve the story. As always, enjoy and thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
**

* * *

' _Don't look back... don't look back!'_

 _Those were the only thoughts going through Penelope's mind as she ran through the frigid warehouse filled with barrels of various unknown substances. Not far behind her, Penelope could hear the group of thugs following her enter the building._

" _Kid! Get your ass back here!"_

 _Quickly she ducked behind several empty stacked barrels as she listened to the groups' footsteps. With a shaky hand over her mouth, Penelope tried to silent her gasps for air, wincing as the raw gashes on her back burned._

" _Come on kid! We don't got all day!" The leader of the group spoke again. Penelope could hear the other men whispering to one another – they were to all split up. "Mr. S is already pretty pissed at ya. Don't make it worse by being a brat!"_

" _More than pissed…" Mumbled a smelly thug nearby Penelope. "Boss wants to gut the little bitch!"_

" _We should just leave and lock her inside." Another thug spoke up to the group. "We have twenty minutes before the night freeze begins. She won't survive more than a couple hours out here before freezing to death."_

" _Hey I like that idea!" More than half of the group agreed in unison._

" _Will all of you shut up!" The leader shouted over them all. "The Boss gave specific directions! He wants the girl alive! Got it?"_

 _The men muttered their understanding and continued their search for Penelope._

 _'_ _I need to get out of here. I can't go back...' Penelope thought as she peeked around one of the barrels to spot an exit nearby. 'The last starship leaves in ten minutes. I have to be on that or-'_

" _I found her!"_

 _Penelope looked up to see a middle age man with a mouth full of rotting teeth grin down at her between the barrels. She screamed as his hand came forward and wrapped around her long dark brown hair, yanking her through several barrels and into his tattooed covered arms._

 _The man tried to wrestle her into submission, but Penelope flung her arms and legs in every direction._

" _Hey! Stop it kid!" The man slapped her across the face. Through her tear stained eyes, Penelope barred her teeth at the man and brutally bit his arm. The thug screamed and pushed Penelope away and into a high stack of barrels—creating a domino effect throughout the building as more and more barrels collide together, spilling an almost black substance everywhere._

 _Penelope heard the other thugs yell profanities as they were hit by the tumbling barrels and covered by the leaking substance. Quickly gathering herself, Penelope dash towards one of the exits._

" _Stop! I'll shot!"_

 _Penelope flung her small body towards the exit, grasping the handle. she pushed the door open with a hard shove, the bitter cold breeze of her home planet biting every piece of exposed skin. She pushed her body to run as fast as it could across the open ice field. Penelope tried her best to ignore the heat of the blast shots from the group of thugs following her. Each shot barely missing her or just grazing her skin slightly to leave a burn, until suddenly Penelope felt a razor-sharp stab in her hip._

 _With a scream, Penelope_ _tumbled towards the snow-covered ground. She withered in pain as the left side of her body felt like it was on fire. The sound of her heart pounded heavily in her head, her surrounding spinning in multiple directions. With each moment, Penelope's vision slowly dimmed away until all she saw and heard was nothing._

* * *

"Jedi Hollow?" Penelope slowly opened her hazel eyes and gazed at the young padawan, who stood in front of her table. He seemed concerned. "Are you alright? You appeared to had been in pain."

"Yes, I'm fine." Penelope sat up in her seat and stretched her body slowly. With a glance around the room she remembered coming to the Jedi Temple's Archives. " It was just a slight headache. Thank you, Jon for waking me. You can go on with your previous duties."

The young padawan nodded in understand with a smile before running off to join a group of other padawan learners his age.

"Sleeping on the job now, Hollow?" Penelope heard a familiar voice let out a deep chuckle. A voice that she had not heard in at least several months. "What would Master Windu say about this discretion?"

Spinning around in her seat, Penelope eyed Anakin Skywalker who was casually leaning against a table behind her.

"Skywalker, when did you get back?" Penelope stood up, acting as if Anakin's presence did not have an influence on the young Jedi's mood. She gathered together the holograms and graphs that were scattered across her table, placing each back in order. "Did they get sick of you in the outer rims?"

"I missed you too, Penny." Anakin smiled and stepped towards Penelope, who gathered the materials she was studying in her arms. Penelope looked at Skywalker with a small scowl, before she let out a tiny chuckle.

"It's good to see you, Anakin." Penelope smiled back at her friend before motioning for him to follow her out of the Archives. "You've gotten taller."

Penelope commented as she took in Anakin's changed appearance. His dark blond hair had grown a fair bit in the several months he was away fighting the Clone Wars with Master Kenobi. But that wasn't the only thing she noted to be different. Anakin seemed more muscular and filled out than before, no longer the tall lanky boy from a couple years ago. The right eye scar Anakin obtain from one of the many battles, gave him a more mature and dark look than he had before.

' _Oh, the thoughts that scar causes . . .'_ Penelope thought silently before she averted her eyes from Anakin. Her thoughts were chasing down a dangerous path that could not happen.

"And you seem to have gotten shorter." Anakin commented with a smirk.

"Not my fault!" She argued with a pout. Penelope knew for a fact she was not shorter; Anakin had grown in height as well during his time away from the Temple. Last, she saw him, her head reached Anakin's chin, now she barely reached his shoulder. Penelope shoved a shoulder into Anakin's side playfully. "When did you get back?"

"Late last night." Anakin walked with Penelope around the Jedi Temple. They both paused for a moment to greet several Jedi Masters passing by. "Obi-Wan wanted to meditate this morning before we head back to the outer rims."

"Back to the outer rims already? You just go back!" Penelope looked at her friend with concern. "Why the urgency?"

"New mission. The council feels that Obi-Wan and I are still need there." Anakin shrugged his shoulders noncoherently. He placed a hand on Penelope's shoulder, making them pause in their walk for a moment. He looked down at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear about your Master."

"It's alright." She smiled sadly and began to walk again. "It was his choice to leave."

"But to give everything up like th-"

"Anakin, stop." Penelope cut him off from speaking further about subject. "I don't want to talk it, please."

"Of course," Anakin nod in understanding, eyeing the graphs in Penelope's hands. "What are those for?"

"Oh… just some things Master Yoda asked me to look over. I'm helping him teach a class to the new group of padawan learners. They're learning astronomy."

Anakin chuckled at Penelope explanation.

"What? What's so funny, Skywalker?"

"Nothing. It's just … isn't it strange to see how far we've come," Anakin chuckled as he reminiscence about the past. "Especially you and I."

"Not this conversation again, Anakin." Penelope groaned. She watched a dozen fellow Jedi Knights passed by them. Each pretending not to see Penelope or Anakin, all looking straight ahead even though Penelope nodded in respect to several of them.

"Come on, Penny." Anakin argued. He too saw the behavior of the other Jedi Knights, most of whom were fellow classmates during their early training days. "Don't pretend you've never noticed the doubt the Council held against us both throughout our training. Almost none of them, except for Master Yoda and a few others gave us some possibility of hope. Our chances were slim to none of succeeding, but now look at us! We're both highly respected Jedi Knights, both well on their way to becoming a Jedi Master. Who knows, maybe even a seat on the Council someday."

"I'm fine having the title of Jedi Knight," She commented, trying to ignore the grin hanging on Anakin's face. She never liked it when he brought up the odds that were placed against either of them succeeding. "Anyways, I don't know if I would want to be on the Jedi Council. I don't like the time I have to spend with Master Windu as it is."

"I believe the feeling is mutual." Anakin chuckled lightly. "I'm fairly sure he does not care for me very much either."

"At least he never threw the word "unstable" around when discussing if you should be trained to be a Jedi." Penelope replied with a frown. "Also, don't praise too much about how great you are, Anakin. I was there when the Clone Wars began. I heard the rumors of you almost throwing everything away for a certain senator."

"Shh!" Anakin hushed Penelope. He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled them both into a dark corner away from prying eyes and ears. "Don't talk about that here."

"Sorry . . ."

"Padme provided a comfort to me during a very dark time in my life." Anakin whispered, an expression of despair seen in his eyes for a moment and gone the next. Penelope was unsure what that was about.

"Does she still provide that 'comfort' for you?" Penelope whispered back, not sure if she wanted an answer. "Anakin, remember attachment is against the Jedi Code. You cou-"

"I know." Anakin answered. "Anyways, we stopped before everything went too far… I may have broken the code, but I don't regret what I had with her."

"Anakin-"

"Please don't tell anyone, Penelope." Anakin begged with urgency as he felt the presence of his Master approaching. "Please…"

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called out as he approached the two Jedi Knights, who were standing too close for his comfort. "The council still must discuss the details of our new mission. We are needed immediately before our ship leaves."

"Of course, Master." Anakin replied. He took a step back from Penelope, and tried his best to ignore the look of disapproval from Obi-Wan. "Penelope and I were just catching up before we had to leave again."

"Ah of course. "Obi-Wan nodded, not entirely believing his former Padawan Learner. "Good to see you, Penelope. I am sorry to hear about Master Ekko. His absence will be a great loss to the Jedi Order."

"Thank you, Master Kenobi." She tried her best to hold her composure at the mention of her former Master. "I should be letting you two be on your way. It was nice to see you again, Anakin."

"Of course," Anakin nodded in agreement with a frown. He wanted to talk more, but the look from Obi-Wan told him that would not be happening. "It was good to see you too, Penelope. May the force be with you."

Penelope nodded in agreement and watched Anakin and Obi-Wan turn and walk away together towards the chamber of the Jedi Council. She held in the heavy sigh she wanted to let out, instead Penelope pouted for several moments in the Jedi Temple corridor before making her way towards her small bedroom within the Temple.

Mentally, Penelope felt exhausted by the time she reached her 5x5 quarters, which consisted of: A twin size bed, a concealed compartment for her clothes and traveling necessities, several dozens of books stacked neatly against a wall that held a small mirror. None of these items matter to Penelope as she plopped onto the hard bed mattress. She reached under her pillow case for the items that matter the most: a worn-torn drawling and a Kyber Crystal.

Penelope held the items in her hands, staring at them for several minutes in silence. Her nightly ritual before going to bed. She brought them with her no matter where she was, but never letting another soul seeing them –especially another Jedi. Attachment was forbidden, and Penelope had a strong attachment to these items from her childhood, both holding many memories – each a reminder of what she had gone through and still needed to do.

Penelope stood up and placed the items back on the bed, walked over towards the only mirror in her room and began to undress for bed. Her Jedi robes and black clothes underneath piling on the floor around her, until all that stood in her reflect was her slim and shapely figure. Her body displaying various shades of scars obtained from her time as a Jedi, but it was when she turns around that the scars from her time before becoming a Jedi were found.

Penelope tried her best to hold back the tears of anger as she took in the site of the 3 long faded slashes trailing down the center of her back. Even though the sight of the scars was a ugly reminder of her past, it was the faded "S" brand mark on her right shoulder blade that brought hated to her eyes.

Master Yoda's voice echoed in Penelope minds as her thoughts turned down a dark path.

' _Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering'_

And suffering was exactly what she would bestow on the person who gifted her with all these scars as reminder that she would never be free.

To be continued…

* * *

 **Thank you for reading, please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**(1/07/16) Hello! Here is chapter 2, it has been rewritten. If you have read it before you may notice some scenes are missing and some things have been added, don't worry the scenes that were taken out will come up eventually. FYI: I imaged Master Ekko looking similar to Luke Evans. Hehe! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
**

* * *

"Careful, young one." Penelope chuckled as a youngling moved his hologram light saber too fast, losing his balance and falling backwards. "You must be aware of your surroundings. Remember to use the force."

"Sorry, Master Hollow." The youngling apologized as he stood back up and retook his stance. "Won't happen again."

"It's alright." Penelope smiled gently. "We all make mistakes. Now back to where you were before."

The youngling smiled back and refocused back on his training. Penelope watched the youngling for a few moments before she looked moved onto the next youngling. She had to hold in her laughter from seeing the many looks of determination on the younglings faces, each one trying his or her hardest to focus on the task before them. A small smile grace Penelope's lips as she watched many of the them succeed in today's lesson.

While Penelope enjoyed teaching the younglings and Padawan Learners, she couldn't ignore the sting of envy for the guidance and support each one was receiving at such a young age. When she was their age, Penelope had no one she could turn to for help. She was left on her own to figure out what she was and could do – resulting in her being used and abuse by those around her. It was not until she was nearly 10 years old that things finally took a positive turn when Master Ekko found her.

* * *

 _ **11 Years Ago – Alderaan**_

' _Come on… come on… concentrate!' Penelope mentally chanted to herself, following behind a large group of wealthy investors that were returning together from lunch. Glancing up at the city park clock, Penelope knew she had very little time to complete her mission. She had been watching these investors the last couple days, memorizing their routine until she felt ready to take what she wanted._

 _Penelope's head throbbed as she tried to concentrate on her targets, visualizing in her mind what she wanted. She envisioned in her mind the stack of money that sitting inside the pocket of each investors jacket._

' _Focus! You can do this… Focus!'_

 _She could feel the vibration from her power at her finger tips as she lifted a hand to help guide her prize to her. Penelope tried to contain her delight as she witnessed each investors jacket pocket give slight tug; none of the investors noticed, each in deep conversation with one another._

' _Yes...'_

 _Penelope felt her exciting built inside, as the coins and bills began to slowly levitate out of the investors pocket. Each investor oblivious to fact that they were being robbed. Penelope could already taste the delicious food and warm bed she would be able to buy the next several nights with that cash she would be getting from these people._

" _Uh!"_

' _What the hel-… uh oh!' Penelope felt herself collide into another being. She was staring straight into grey and brown robes that belong to a tall person, who currently was towering her small child frame. Slowly, Penelope willed herself to look up at the stranger who had not yet moved an inch or spoke._

" _Hello," Penelope stared up at a man in his mid-thirties with olive tanned skin, and a black beard and should length black hair. He looked calm as he stared down at Penelope, a trickle of amusement in his dark blue eyes. "What were you doing, little one?"_

 _At that very moment Penelope hears coins dropping to the pavement and men's voices shouting behind the man. She peeked around the man, and saw the investors on their knees – each of them picking up their money from the ground. They all looked very confused by what had happened, each unsure of how their money fell out of their pockets._

 _Penelope glanced back up at the man, who gave her a knowing look. She gave him an awkward smile, realizing she had been caught._

" _Oops…"_

 _Thinking quickly on her feet, Penelope used all her strength to push the strange man away with her small arms. The man stumbled away from Penelope, still looking at her with amusement. Not wanting to waste time, Penelope took off in the direction of the woods she had been taking shelter for several weeks._

 _She ran nonstop for several minutes before coming to a stop. Her breathing was hard and labored as she leaned against a tree for support. Glancing around her surrounding, Penelope saw that no one was following her._

" _For such a young child, you are breathing mighty fast." A cool voice stated behind Penelope, she turned around and was startled to see the strange man from earlier. He casually walked up to Penelope, who was still trying her best to catch her breath. He gave her a quizzical expression as he slowly approached her panting figure leaning against the tree for support. "You're ill... what is wrong with you child? Tell me."_

 _He placed a hand against the middle of Penelope back, causing her to flinch away from the man. The strange man looked startled for a moment before being his hand that had touched Penelope back to his face, sniffing his hand._

" _Poison… who has poisoned you?" The man demanded suddenly. He appeared very concerned and followed Penelope, who was running backwards from him. Penelope tried her best to get away from the man, but it was to do so when you cannot breathe and are running backwards._

 _Penelope let out a small shout, feeling her foot trip over a road and her body stumbling towards the ground – but her body did not touch the ground as expected. Instead she found her hoovering a couple inches off the ground. Wide eyed Penelope stared at the strange man in awe, as she watched him lift a hand and slightly movement of his hand downwards – Penelope's body gently touch the grass._

" _How did you do that?"_

 _Penelope sat up and looked at the strange man eagerly. The mysterious man walked towards her and crouched down beside Penelope._

" _I'll tell you, if you tell me how you were poisoned?" The man asked, his composure calm as he stared into Penelope hazel eyes. Penelope looked away, hating the contact that came with looking some in the eye. Nothing good every came from staring some in the eyes, seeing and hearing their every thought and memory._

" _Hey, what wrong?" The man asked, once again reaching forth to touch Penelope in a friendly manner but she flinched away again. The man stared at Penelope with concern, unsure of what was wrong. "I will not hurt you."_

" _Just leave me alone, please." Penelope whispered. She moved her body several inches away from the mysterious man. "I promise not to steal again, if you leave me alone right now."_

" _Yes, I saw that little display you put on back there." The man commented with a small smile. "Where did you learn to do that may I ask?"_

 _Penelope stared blankly at the man, unsure if she should tell him or not._

" _No answer… hmm? Well then..." The man let out a heavy sigh, before making himself comfortable on the grass. He crossed his long legs with ease as he sat next to Penelope, he moved his robes slightly to sit more comfortably. Penelope's eyes went wide as she caught a glimpse of some sort of weapon the man's belt. The stranger caught the look of curiosity Penelope had and knew what she had saw. He let out a low chuckle and removed the weapon from his belt. Penelope flinched away, afraid he was going to attack her. The man held up a hand to calm her down. "It's okay… it's okay, little one. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a Jedi Knight, hence why I have a lightsaber."_

" _A Jedi Knight?" Penelope looked at the man with pure confusion. "What's a Jedi?"_

 _Now it was the man turn to look confused. "You've never heard of the Jedi before?"_

 _Penelope shook her head no, not understanding what a Jedi was. The man continued to stare at her with curiosity, surprised to learn that she did not know what a Jedi was._

" _Interesting…" The man whispered before placing his lightsaber back in his robes. "Tell me little one what planet are you from? Do not say Alderaan for I will know if you are lying."_

 _Penelope chewed on her bottom lip unsure if she should tell this stranger when she was from. While Penelope knew, it was probably foolish to give the man information about herself, something inside her was telling her that the man was honest when he stated he was not harm her. A feeling inside her chest told her to trust this man._

" _Iridescent." Penelope whispered, still unsure if she should be telling the truth._

" _Iridescent… hmm, that would make more sense now." The man nodded, and gave Penelope a small smile. "You are a long way from home. Where is your family, little one?"_

 _Penelope shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to answer the man's question. The man could see this question made her uncomfortable and moved onto other questions._

 _"Alright, … do you know what you were doing back there in the town square?" The man asked, watching Penelope with curiosity. Penelope shrugged her shoulder, not wanting to answer again. The man let out a long sigh. "I know you do. It was obvious that was not your first time using the Force. You may be a small child but you are already highly skilled with the Force."_

" _The Force?" Penelope was confused again at the words the man was using._

" _You truly don't know anything about what you are…" The man whispered as he looked shocked at Penelope. "Tell me child how old are you?"_

" _Almost ten." Penelope mumbled, "My birthday is next month."_

" _And where is your family again I ask?" The man questioned Penelope. She could see the man had many thoughts going through his head as he watched Penelope with high interest. "A little girl like you should not be wondering around all by herself. Please tell me where your family is? I wish to speak with your mother or father. I promise you will not get in trouble, little one."_

 _Penelope liked it when the man called her 'little one', it made her feel warm inside. A feel she had not felt for a very long time._

 _"They're dead. My whole family... is dead." Penelope frowned, not liking it when she talks about her family. "They were all killed back home."_

" _Is that how you were poisoned?" The man asked, he too was now frowning. He had heard terrifying stories and rumors about Iridescent and the conditions it citizen lived in. "You were trying to get away?"_

 _Penelope nodded her head yes, "And this too." She lifted the side of her shirt slightly and removed the old, dirty blood stained newspaper that had been crumpled up into small balls and used as a bandage. The man stared in horror as Penelope showed him her blast wound too. Her body had been trying to heal the wound on her hip, but with the wounds on her back it was too much. Penelope knew it looked back to the strange man, but she felt that it was better than before. At least she no longer felt like passing out each time she stood up._

" _It's not as bad as it used to be…" Penelope commented while the man inspected the wound closely. She could tell he was shock that she still alive, which Penelope too was surprised by. She knew her injures should have killed her, for she had seen much less severe wounds back home kill people._

" _Who did this?" The man practically growled as he stood up and looked down at Penelope._

" _A bad man…" Penelope whispered and began to place the paper back over her wound, but the strange man stopped her from doing so. He shook his head no and helped her stand up._

" _Well I am not going to let that bad man hurt you again, little one." The man kneel in front of Penelope, pulling her shirt down to cover her wound. "I am going to take care of you. I know someone who can heal you… but first I need your name?  
_

" _Why do you want to help me?" Penelope suddenly feeling the urge to start crying. She did not know what was happening and it scared her. "I'll just cause trouble."_

" _No, you won't." The man smiled softy and brushed a tear away from Penelope face. "You're perfect."_

" _Penelope…"_

 _The man smiled big when he heard her name. "And what is your last name little Penelope?"_

 _"I … I don't have one." Penelope looked at the ground ashamed and embarrassed. "We were never given one."_

" _Then create one."_

 _Penelope thought back to the stories her father use to read her before bed. A bright smile lightens up her face as she remembers the name of her favorite character. "Hollow… Hollow is my last name."_

" _Well, Penelope Hollow," The man smiled in returned. "I am Jedi Knight Erik Ekko, and I will be your protector, teacher, and friend."_

* * *

"Master Hollow?"

Penelope snapped out of her thoughts with a slight shake of her head. She looked around to see who was talking to her and found her class of younglings looking at her with anxiousness.

"Master Hollow, may we please leave. The bells are rings."

Penelope stood still for a moment and heard the bells the youngling spoke of. It was the soft ringing of bells throughout the Temple, signaling the end of the younglings' lesson for the day.

"Yes, yes." She nodded and motioned for the younglings to leave. "You all did very well. I will see tomorrow."

Quickly, each youngling put away his or her things before rushing to their next lesson with excitement. Penelope tried to fight the sense of sadness she felt as she sat alone in her classroom, feeling regret at what she missed coming to the Temple when she did. Most of her fellow peers were brought to the Temple at much younger ages than when Penelope showed up. She tried not dwell on the memories and feeling she missed out on. While she did not have the same experiences as her peers growing up, Penelope did have one person who could relate to her frustrations – Anakin.

When Penelope arrived to the Jedi Temple, her Master kept much of what she had told him private – the Council only knowing that she was an orphan and needed a home. Master Ekko withheld the abuse and torture she endured on Iridescent, afraid that the Council would deem her too risky to train. Once finally accepted by the Jedi Council, Penelope was placed through a lengthy ordeal to test her Force Sensitivity and begrudgingly accepted into the Jedi Order, she was surprised to find a boy a year old than she who had gone through a similar ordeal. Just like Anakin, Penelope had trouble adjusting and accepting the rules of the Jedi Order. Both coming from a life that was filled with memories and attachments, unlike their peers. Penelope felt from the moment she met Anakin that he was the only one who could truly understand her, no matter how hard Masters Ekko and Yoda tried to. He was her friend and equal.

' _And deep down you want more than friendship.'_ A voice whispered inside her. _'You want love and passion.'_

Penelope shook her head, trying to rid her mind of such thoughts. She knew that what she wanted could never be, it was against the Jedi Code – she would lose everything. Penelope did not want to lose everything, she had lost everything once before and did not it to happen ever again.

' _Anakin and I can never be.'_ Penelope mentally chided herself, forcing herself to face the cold truth. _'Anyways, I am nowhere near his type. I am not Senator Amidala, and she is what Anakin wants.'_

With a heavy sign, Penelope stood up and set up the room for the next group of younglings to soon arrive.

…

Half-way across Crouscant in the Supreme Chancellor's office, sat the man himself in his chair deep in meditation.

The doors of his office slid open and entered his loyal assistant and servant. The Chancellor sensing a presence in his office, broke his connection and meditation. He slowly cracked his neck side to side, satisfied with the sensation it brought him.

"Was it successful, my lord?" Palpatine's servant bowed to his master.

"Very." Palpatine grinned, relaxing back in his chair. "The poor girl was completely unaware that I was inside her mind the whole day. Knowing every thought and memory she had. It was most gratifying. There's much more to Jedi Knight Hollow than I previously thought. I believe I am going to have to make some adjustments in my plans."

"Is that good, my lord?"

"Oh, yes!" Palpatine chuckled deeply. "Very good… very good indeed!"

To be continued…

* * *

 **Thank you for reading, please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(1/7/17) Hi! This chapter had a massive rewrite, so if you've read it please re-read because there have been many changes. In this chapter we get a small glimpse into Penelope's childhood, present, and future. If you have any positive or negative feedback, please let me know so I can improve the quality of the story. Enjoy and thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

"Mm…"

Penelope groaned and tried to stretch her neck and shoulder while hunched over dozen books and graphs. Her mind was exhausted from spending hours in the Archives, researching for her next lessons with the younglings – Master Yoda had advised her to brush up on her astronomy history which appeared had been wise as there was much Penelope had forgotten over time.

Sitting up straight in her chair, Penelope saw she was one of few that remained in the Archives. Most either retired for the night. Others were dispatched to the Senate after the Council received word that the Supreme Chancellor had been taken hostage by Count Dooku. Many members of the Senate were being placed under protection by the Jedi Council until the Chancellor was returned and the threat subdue. Penelope had heard whispers that Anakin and Master Kenobi had been given the mission to rescue the Chancellor. It had been several weeks since Penelope had seen either Anakin or Obi-Wan after they were set back to the Outer Rims. She found her thoughts constantly revolving around the young Jedi Knight, whether awake or asleep.

' _I need to sleep.'_ Penelope thought to herself, even though she knew it was be another night of restless sleep. Her body and mind were worn from lack of rest, her thoughts easily clouded. Master Yoda took noticed of Penelope lack of concertation recently, offering to meditate with the young Jedi. Penelope knew it was an honor for the Grand Master Jedi to offer personal assistance, but she did not want to Master Jedi poking around in her head. Her dreams and thoughts lately had been blurring frequently of violating the Jedi Code many times the last several weeks. Penelope could not risk revealing this to Master Yoda, knowing very well he would have no choice but to bring it all before the Jedi Council.

Slowly, Penelope collected all her materials in her arms and left the Temple Archives for her personal quarters. She could feel her bed calling her name as she strolled through the dark empty corridors of the Jedi Temple, the sounds of chimes ringing signaling that it was midnight. Through the windows of the Temple, Penelope could see the bright city lights of Coruscant – the city dancing with life while many of its residents slept.

" _Give it back, Lily! It's mine!"_

Penelope paused in her step, unsure if she heard what she thought she did. It sounded like a child's voice. Penelope stood still and searched with her eyes where a youngling may of be hiding. It was against the rules for a youngling to be out an about in the Jedi Temple at this time of night – all the younglings knew this.

" _No. You shouldn't even have this anyways. Where did you get it?"_

Penelope felt a heavy pressure in her chest when she heard the echo of an older child shout. She knew that voice and it did not belong to any younglings or Padawans, that she knew of.

' _It can't be.'_

Penelope thought to herself as she looked around the empty corridor, finding no source of the voices to be found. She shook her head rapidly for several seconds, believing that what she heard was just a delusion from lack of sleep.

"Oh Kriff…"

Penelope dropped all the books in her arms to the floor, her eyes wide with fear and disbelief. Before her stood to girl's, one no older than 5 years old the other a young teenager. The little girl was wearing a raggedy red t-shirt and dingy looking black pants – her feet were bare and filthy. Her shoulder length brown hair was kept in two simple ponytails. It was obvious looking at the little girl that she did not always get a meal every day, but that did not stop her from stomping and glaring up at the older girl with determination. Penelope wanted to smile at the little girl's spirit and she would of, if she had not been terrified seeing her 5-year-old self-standing before her.

" _I found it! Now give it back!"_

" _You did not find it, brat!"_

Penelope's oldest sister, Lily, sneered before calling over her shoulder for their mother. Looking around Penelope saw the surroundings of the Jedi Temple slowly melt away and transform into her former childhood home – each detail exactly as she remembered it, right down to the food rumbles that littered the kitchen floor.

" _What is it? I was just about to get some sleep, before my shift started."_

Penelope held in her breath as she watched her mother appear out of thin air. She looked older and sadder than Penelope remembered her being. Her eyes were slightly sunken in from lack of sleep and energy, her body malnourished from lack of nutrient filled food. Penelope's had never remembered seeing her mother appear so miserable.

" _I found Penelope playing with this."_

Lily dropped something in her mother's hand before walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Penelope's mother inspected the object in her hand before sharply turning to the scared five-year-old. Her mother held up a Kyber Crystal.

" _Penelope, where did you get this?"_

Her mother looked extremely angry as she waited for a answer. Penelope slowly began to remember this situation, she remembered the fear she felt seeing her mother's fury. Her five-year-old self was frozen in place, unsure of what to say or do. Penelope's mother grew frustrated with the five-year-old and bent down before the girl.

" _Who gave you this crystal, Penny? Tell me."_ Her mother watched her with such intensity, that Penelope was afraid she would harm the little girl but she knew that was not going to happen. _"Tell me dammit! Now!"_

" _Mr. Sharp gave it to me…"_ Little Penelope whispered with fear, sensing her mother's rage inside.

" _Kriff!"_

Her mother swore loudly before grabbing Penelope harshly by the shoulders.

" _Listen to me,"_ Her mother spoke with both fear and aggression. _"Mr. Sharp is not a nice man. He would hurt mama, papa, and all your brothers and sisters if he knew the things you could do. This crystal he gave you would reveal to him some of those thing, Penelope. And you don't want mama and papa to get hurt, do ya?"_

Little Penelope shook her head no while staring at the ground ashamed. _"Can I still keep it? It's pretty when it glows."_

" _No."_ Her mother snapped before loosen her grip on Penelope, and stood up with a frown. _"Did you show Mr. Sharp that you could make the crystal glow?"_

Little Penelope shook her head no, even though the older Penelope knew that she had.

" _No, you can't have it back."_ Her mother replied with a cold voice, before she walked away and went back upstairs.

Penelope looked over her five-year-old self with sadness, remembering the pain of having the crystal taken away. Her mother did not understand the connection she felt with the crystal, the feeling of no longer being alone. Little Penelope stood in the kitchen crying softly, her sniffles bring tears to her older self's eyes.

' _Why am I seeing all of this again?'_ Penelope thought to herself as she tried to fight back her tears while recalling the painful memories of her childhood. _'Is this the work of the Force? Lack of sleep…?'_

Gradually the scene before her faded away, until she found herself standing on a starship, overlook space through a grand window. Penelope did not recognize the starship she was on and had no clue as to why she was even there in the first place.

"Good, Anakin. Good!" Penelope heard a familiar voice give praise behind her. "Kill him. Kill him now."

Turning around she taken aback at the scene before her. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was strapped and bound to a great chair that overlooked the finished duel before him. Penelope was shocked to see Anakin holding two lightsabers to Count Dooku's neck. To Penelope's surprise the Count looked terrified as he glanced between Anakin and the Chancellor, he seemed to believe that Anakin was going to harm him while defenseless.

"I shouldn't." Anakin appeared trouble while staring down the Count with anger. Penelope remember the hatred Anakin held towards the Count for taking his hand, which Penelope could see Anakin had returned two times – she was surprised to see that Count Dooku was missing both of this hands. Anakin continued to stare down at Dooku with confliction, unsure of what he should or should not do.

"Do it!" The Supreme Chancellor ordered Anakin, who gave a look of defeat before swing both lightsabers – decapitating Count Dooku.

"No! Anakin!" Penelope cried out in horror from what she had just witnessed. Anakin paused in his movements to free the Chancellor. He looked over in Penelope direction for a brief movement, his expression confused and concerned. He stared hard for several moments where Penelope stood, who too was surprised he had heard her. Penelope could sense that Anakin was unable to see her, but she felt him using the Force to reach out for her – trying to confirm that Penelope was there, and that he was not hearing things.

"Anakin! Please help me!" The Supreme Chancellor called out, breaking Anakin concentration.

Penelope watched Anakin assist the Chancellor, while her surrounding once again changed. It broke her heart to see the look of despair in Anakin's eyes as he argued with Chancellor about Dooku's dismay. The last thing Penelope saw before the everything faded was her and Anakin making eye contact for a brief movement, before Penelope felt herself being jolted forward.

"Kriff!"

Penelope held on tight to anything she could grab a hold of. The ship she was on was falling fast from the sky, spinning out of control as it went in and out of power. Many of the crew were screaming as the Captain shouted for everyone to brace for impact. Penelope could see about a dozen crew members holding on to dear life as the star ship took a sudden noise drive towards the ground… and then everything went dark and quiet.

Penelope felt another jolt, shook her head for a moment, trying to clear her mind. She had to rub her eyes a few times before her vision began to clear. To her surprise the ship had crashed, but was still intact to a degree but most of the crew were not so lucky. Most of the crew was either killed from impact or moments away from death.

"Padme…?"

Penelope heard her own voice call out from the front of the ship. Rushing over she was shocked to see herself sitting in one of the crew member sits nearby the captain's chair. Looking over herself, Penelope could see besides have dozens of small cuts from shards of broken glass, the future her had serious injuries – a shred of metal was protruding out her right thigh that was bleeding profusely and a large piece of glass was sticking out her right abdomen wall, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Padme… Padme, can you hear me?"

Her future self was trying to turn in her seat to look behind her, but cried out in pain as she did so. Penelope looked instead and saw Senator Padme Amidala was in the seat directly behind her. She frowned as she saw why the Senator had not been answering her calls. The young senator had multiple pieces of debris embedded and protruding from her chest wall, a large pool of blood appearing around her seat. The Senator's eyes were lifeless as Penelope looked away, not wanting to see anymore.

Looking out the scattered front of the ship, Penelope saw that the ship had crashed landed on a ice planet. She did not recognize the geography, but could multiple massive ice blocks protruding from the ground. It was obvious by the landscape that the starship had landed on a desolated planet. Penelope raised a hand to shield her face as a bitter cold wind gust moved through the ship, until she suddenly didn't feel the cold breeze at all.

Pulling her hand aware Penelope saw that she was once again somewhere else. This time it appeared to be a small hut. With a glance outside one of the few windows, all she could see was forest. The sounds of birds chirping brought a smile to Penelope's face as she listened to the peace and quiet of this home, until the sounds of a baby crying broke the moment.

Curious of what this meant, Penelope slowly moved through the hut – following the sounds of the baby's cries until she reached a closed door. She took a deep breath and reached for the door handle when suddenly a dark hooded figure loomed over her instead. Penelope backed away in fright, but the figure grabbed her arm to stop her. She stood silent in fear, unsure of what was happening. Penelope flinched when the figure raised a hand and instead of harming her, gently brushed the side of her neck as a lover would…. And then all she felt was pain and heat.

Penelope did not need to look to see a lightsaber was protruding through her body. She grasped the mysterious figures broad shoulders for an anchor. The pain gradually fading away until all she felt was numbness. She looked up at figure with tears in her eyes, not understand what all this was. Slowly the figured leaned down until their forehead touched the top of Penelope's head, and to her surprised she felt drop of tears fall onto her hair. With a gloved hand the figure held Penelope's head gently against their chest. As everything began to fade away, Penelope heard the mysterious figure whisper to her:

"Save me."

* * *

…

"Jedi Hollow? What is wrong?"

Penelope opened her eyes and saw she was back in the Jedi Temple, still standing in the same spot as before. She let out a shaky breath, unsure of what had just happened. Her mind was still processing what she saw. Penelope pressed a hand against her chest where she felt the lightsaber stab through, but all she found was her Jedi robes untouched – a wound nowhere to be found.

' _It felt so real though…'_

"Are you alright, Hollow?"

Penelope looked to see a fellow Jedi Knight watch her with concern. The Knight took several small steps towards the confused Jedi.

"Yes, uh…What… what was I doing?" Penelope stuttered, unsure of what to think or say.

Looking around she saw it was no longer nighttime as the sun tried to break through the horizon.

"I'm not sure what you mean. You were just standing here with your eyes closed muttering."

"What was I saying?"

"I was not able to hear, I am sorry." The Jedi Knight glanced out the window with a huge grin. "Did you hear the news about Skywalker and Master Kenobi?"

Penelope shook her head no, glancing out the Temple window to see what her fellow Jedi was watching. In the far distances of Coruscant, she could see heavy amounts of smoke coming from what she knew was a landing strip for ships.

"They defeated Count Dooku and rescued the Supreme Chancellor. Crashed the battleship on that field over there." The Knight grinned as he watched cruisers speed towards the crash. "Per reports all three are fine. The Council has redrawn most of the Jedi from the Senate, everyone should be arriving back to the Temple soon. Isn't this most exciting? The Count has finally been defeated, the Sith are no more!"

"Yes," Penelope whispered even though she had a bad feeling that things were far from being over. "Most exciting…"

"Are you sure you are alright, Jedi Hollow?" The Knight looked to her with concern, seeing the lack of enthusiasm in Penelope facial expression. "You do not look well."

"I'm fine… thank you."

Penelope quickly gathered her books had been dropped earlier, and rushed back to her room for privacy.

* * *

….

Several hours later Penelope was walking through the Jedi Temple deep in thought, trying her best to piece together what had happened last night. She skipped morning meditation and her lessons with Master Yoda and the younglings today, stating that she did not feel well. Master Yoda expressed concerned at her sudden illness, but allowed Penelope to be excused for the rest of the day.

"Penelope!"

Penelope paused and looked over her shoulder to see Anakin jogging her way. He looked trouble as he approached her, his expression grim.

"Anakin," Penelope breathed, not sure of what to say – her mind replying the image of Anakin beheading Count Dooku. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."

Anakin stared deep into Penelope's hazel eyes for a moment. Penelope let out a gasp when she suddenly felt the Jedi Knight invade her thoughts before shutting him out.

"What are you doing?" Penelope backed away from Anakin, shocked that he would invaded her mind like that.

Anakin quickly grabbed Penelope by the hand and made her walk with him away from the prying eyes of the other Jedi. Penelope tried to pull her hand away from Anakin's tight grip as he dragged her around a pillar before letting go of her hand.

"Anakin, what-"

"You were there!" Anakin stood directly in front of Penelope, practically holding her up against the pillar – preventing her from getting away from him. Penelope looked up at Anakin with wide eyes, unsure of what was happening.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Penelope spoke, trying her best to avoid contact with the highly skilled Jedi Knight. "Now, please let me go!"

"I know you were there." Anakin practically growled, clearly frustrated with Penelope lack of cooperation. "I felt your presence! I heard your voice! I know it was you, Penelope…. I saw it in your thoughts."

"It true then?" Penelope whispered, slowly meeting Anakin hard stare. "What I saw was real?... You executed Count Dooku, but… not the Jedi way. He was unarmed."

Anakin took a step back and let out a long breath of air. He appeared defeated and lost.

"It had to be done… it was the only way to end everything." Anakin tried to argue. He rubbed his forehead several times, his brow frowning. Penelope could feel the frustration and uncertainty emanating from him. Anakin took a deep breath and looked back at Penelope, who stood still against the pillar. "How were you there?"

"I don't know." Penelope replied, shifting from foot to foot with nervousness. "I wasn't even sure if what I saw was real. It all just happened out of nowhere, but… I could feel that it was real."

"Do you believe it was the Force?" Anakin asked, he too was confused just like Penelope. Nothing was making sense. "Were you shown anything else?"

"No..." Penelope shook her head, avoiding eye contact with Anakin against. She could feel him trying to invade her thoughts again, but she made sure to block his intrusion this time. "Get out of my head, Anakin!"

"I'm sorry," Anakin looked away with shame. "I just don't understand why this is happening."

Anakin's communicator suddenly went off, forcing him to step away from Penelope as he took a call from Jedi Master Kenobi. The two spoke quietly for a minute, before Anakin bid his Master farewell and put the communicator away.

"The Jedi High Council requests our presence at the Supreme Chancellors office." Anakin stated with a frown, "I'll take us there."

"Do you know what it is about?" Penelope asked. She had an uneasy feeling about why they were both needed present at the Supreme Chancellor's office and with the Jedi Council no less.

"I don't know." Anakin stated with tension, before he grabbed Penelope's hand and dragged her towards where a cruiser waited for them. "Come on."

 _To be continued . . ._

* * *

 **Thank you for reading, please review!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**(1/7/17) Hi! This chapter like the one previous had a massive rewrite. Thank you everyone for your support! If you have any positive or negative feedback, please let me know so I can improve the story. Enjoy and thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Penelope tried to maintain a calm and collected composure, walking side by side with Anakin through the hallways of the Supreme Chancellor's office. She had never been there before and was taken aback at the grand taste and decoration that lined the walls of the Senate Leader's office. Penelope allowed Anakin to take the lead as they approached the Chancellor's office, he knew his way better than she did – Penelope heard stories from Anakin in the past about visiting the Chancellor.

Penelope tried not to feel flush when she felt all eyes in the Chancellor's office turn to her and Anakin when they entered the room after passing the guards. Almost the whole Jedi Council was present, along with several Senate members. They all appeared to had been waiting for her and Anakin's arrival.

"Oh, good! Welcome!" The Supreme Chancellor practically cheered from his seat when he saw Anakin and Penelope enter his office. "It's so good to see you both!"

"Sorry, we're late." Anakin apologized and took a seat next to Obi-Wan, who gave his former Padwan Learner a look that Penelope could not decipher.

Penelope stood in the background by a few Jedi Council members, trying to remain unfazed by the look Master Windu was sending her way.

"Shall we discuss what has brought us all here today, Supreme Chancellor." Senator Bail Organa spoke. "We do not have much time to waste."

"Yes, of course!" The Chancellor clasped his hands together before direction his full attention to everyone in his office. "As many of you here are aware, the Galactic Republic has been trying to unit itself with nearly a dozen Outer Rims planets. Our goal is to decrease further power the Separatists could retain from these planets, many of them offering valuable resources.

The Senate has been working tirelessly to set up negotiation with various leaders on these planets. The hope is to have these planets under the Galactic Republics protection in less than several months."

"While I understand the Senates reasoning for this idea, I must warn you Supreme Chancellor that many of these planets will not yield easily to the rule of the Republic." Master Windu spoke. "A fair amount of these planets and societies thrive on violence and crime. It will not be safe for any member of the Senate to travel there."

"That is why we request the protection of the Jedi while we complete these negotiations." Senator Amidala stated from her seat next to Chancellor's desk. "With your protection, we can focus on completing our tasks in a timely manner. The Jedi are protectors of the peace, and the Senate is trying to establish that peace throughout the galaxy."

"Senator Amidala has a fair point." Grand Master Yoda agreed, even though his facial expression stated otherwise. He looked around the room to make eye contact with several members of the Jedi Council. "Provide protection for the Senate we must. Bring peace it will."

"I agree with Master Yoda." Obi-Wan nodded as he looked onward in deep thought. "If we are to end this war, we need to be a unified galaxy."

Penelope watched Master Windu reluctantly nod his head in agreement with Masters' Yoda and Kenobi.

"When will you need our assistance, Supreme Chancellor? How many of us will you need in your mission?"

"The plan is to leave tonight." The Chancellor stated, causing a sense of tension among many of the Jedi Masters. They were not expecting it to be so soon. "I understand that this is very sudden, but after the attempt on my life, the Senate agrees that we must move quickly before more of us are targeted. I will only require a small number of Jedi to accompany myself and several other members of the senate."

"You'll be going? Do you believe that would be wise?" Master Windu questioned, eyeing the Chancellor with curiosity.

"We need the Supreme Chancellor to be there." Senator Organa explained from he stood behind Senator Amidala. "The Chancellor has been the one to take on the most of the negations. It has been requested by many of the Outer Rim leaders for him to be present during the agreements and signing. Most have stated that they will not agree if he is not present… Our hands are tied, I am sorry if this make it difficult for the Jedi Council."

"With the Supreme Chancellor and the Senate, the Jedi will be..." Master Yoda spoke up, his word final.

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Chancellor Palpatine nodded in thanks, before smiling towards the Jedi Council. "I will not burden you with taking to many of your Knights. I believe after today; young Skywalker would be perfect to keep myself and other members of the Senate safe. And from I have heard I believe Jedi Knight Hollow would make a perfect protector too. I have heard many stories about her resourcefulness when in a bind."

Penelope tried to contain her shock at being picked for protection detail for the Supreme Chancellor and Senate members. She had not been on an actual mission since before Master Ekko left the Jedi Order.

"I do not believe having Jedi Knight Hollow on this mission would be wise." Master Windu stated with some hostility. "She has not seen combat or even a mission in nearly a year. She is not fit for duty."

"I respectfully disagree, Master Windu." To Penelope's surprise it was Anakin who up. His facial expression was blank while he maintain eye contact with the fierce Jedi Master. "Hollow is just as skilled in the Force as I and many of our other peers. Just because she has not been on a mission in a long time does not make her useless. You, yourself has not been on an actual mission or seen combat for almost a year as well, but still deem yourself competent to judge if someone is ready or not."

"Anakin!"

Obi-Wan snapped at the Jedi Knight, while everyone, but Chancellor Palpatine and Master Yoda, looked on in shock at his words. Penelope could see Jedi Master Windu was forcing himself to maintain a calm composure - if they had been back in the Temple, Anakin would had received a tongue lashing from the older Jedi.

"Young Hollow will accompany Skywalker in protecting the Chancellor and Senate," Yoda stated to ease the tension in the room. Penelope saw the Grand Master Jedi glance her way before he continued with his statement. "Masters Kenobi and Windu will be along too. Will four Jedi be sufficive?"

"Yes, yes. Thank you, Master Yoda." The Chancellor smiled graciously, before he addressed the entire room again. "I thank you all for taking the time to be here today. I have a strong feeling our efforts will be successful in uniting and being peace to the galaxy. For those of you who will be taking part in the negotiations, our ship will be leaving at seven o'clock sharp. Please meet in the Senate's ship hanger where my staff will be awaiting your arrival. Good day everyone and may the force be with you!"

Quickly everyone filed out of the room, only Senators' Amidala and Organa staying behind to speak with the Supreme Chancellor. Penelope kept her focus on Anakin as she exited the Chancellor's office with the rest of the Jedi.

"Anakin," Penelope tapped the young Jedi Knight on the shoulder once they had exited the Chancellor's office, the Jedi High Council members walked off in a separate direction to speak in private with one another. This left Anakin and Penelope alone to talk while Senator members retreated to their respectable offices.

"Yes?" Anakin stopped and turned to look down at Penelope, who was smiling softly. This brought a smile to the young Jedi's face. "Excited to finally go on a mission?"

"Thank you for speaking up in there for me." Penelope stated, trying her best to ignore strange fluttering feeling in her stomach. "I-… it was greatly appreciated."

"No, problem." Anakin continued to smile, "You deserve to have the same experiences as the rest of us. It's not right the Council keeps assigning you to stay at the Temple with the younglings. You deserve to use your skills for other uses, not just teaching."

"The Council just want to keep a closer eye on me after what happened with my Master."

"They need to let you breathe." Anakin let out a long sigh. "They should not be punishing you for Master Ekko's mistakes…. What did he do anyways to get kicked out of the Order? Obi-Wan refuses to tell me anything. I heard rumors that-"

"That's for another time." Penelope cut off Anakin from speaking further about her former Master. She did not want to discuss the matter of why he left the Jedi Order so close to many prying ears. "Same for when we discuss what happened at the Temple earlier… and I'm still mad about that too!"

"Sorry about that… I was upset at the time." Anakin apologize sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He then sent Penelope a small smile. "Forgive me."

"I forgive you for now." Penelope chuckled quietly, unable to stay mad at Anakin. She knew it was not alright what Anakin did earlier to her, invading her thoughts without her consent but she could understand his anxiety at what had occurred. Penelope, herself, did not understand what happened – she still felt uneasy at what she saw. The right thing to do would be to inform the Jedi Council, at the very least Master Yoda, of what she saw and experienced. Except Penelope had a feeling inside that there was still much more she needed to figure out on her own before disclosing the matter with the Council.

"Anakin!"

Penelope and Anakin turned to see Obi-Wan approaching them, he appeared very displeased.

"Oh, here we go with another lecture." Anakin mumbled under his breath and rolled his eyes. He glanced at Penelope. "This is probably going to take a while. I'll see on the Chancellor's ship tonight?"

Penelope nodded and moved to leave Anakin and Obi-Wan alone to speak, she gave Master Kenobi a nod of acknowledgement before hightailing it out of there.

* * *

….

"There you are," Anakin stated as Penelope rushed onto the Chancellor's ship with a few minutes to spare "I almost thought you weren't goin' show."

"I was in the Archives finishing some research for Master Yoda." Penelope breathed heavily. "I lost track of time, and then when I did try to leave the Temple it was next to impossible to get a cruiser to come here. Did I miss anything?"

"No, you're fine." Anakin assured her. He guided her towards the back of the ship where Jedi Masters' Kenobi and Windu were seated. Penelope tried not to stare at the lavish decorated ship the Chancellor was entitled to. While the ship was small it could obviously hold the dozen people on board comfortably, excluding the droids that were spot close to Senator Amidala. Penelope remembered seeing the droids a few times before.

' _I thing they are R2-D2 and C-3PO? Maybe? Or was it something else...?'_

Chancellor Palpatine and Senators' Organa and Amidala paused their conversation to briefly welcome the Jedi Knights, before returning to their conversation about a minor political problem.

Anakin signaled for Penelope to take a seat next to Master Kenobi, while he sat on the other side of her. Jedi Master Kenobi greeted Penelope with a warm smile while ignoring his former Padawan.

"He's still mad about earlier..." Anakin whispered with irritation in Penelope ear, he too aware of the cold shoulder from Obi-Wan.

' _Obviously!'_

Penelope tried not to laugh at the stubbornness between Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"Jedi Knight Hollow, I expect you to be on time." Jedi Master Mace Windu stated none to please with Penelope almost tardiness. "If you wish to continue receiving mission from the Council, you must first show that we can rely on your arriving on time. The High Council will hear of this near grievance."

"Yes, Master Windu." Penelope nodded. "I understand, it will not happen again."

Master Windu stared at Penelope with a blank expression before sitting back and closed his eyes to meditate.

' _This going to be a very, very long mission…'_

Penelope thought bitterly, before she too tried to relax and meditate for the long journey ahead of them.

…

14 hours later, Penelope felt herself being awoken by the turbulence of the ship. She had fallen asleep 7 hours into the flight after the Chancellor and Senators' reviewed with everyone what the criteria of the journey consisted of and what planets they were to visit. They would be arriving on the following planets in order: Gand, Voss, Taris, Tatooine, and possibly Hoth.

The Captain announced to the Chancellor that they were five minutes away from their destination.

Penelope glanced towards a window and was shocked to see the ship move through clear clouds.

"I thought we were going to Gand first?" Penelope questioned Anakin, who was pretending to meditate.

Anakin slowly opened his eyes and let out a silent yawn. He too glanced out the window and appeared confused by what he saw. "We are supposed to be arriving in Gand." He looked around Penelope to speak with Master Kenobi and Master Windu, who were speaking very quietly with one another. "Master, what is happening? Why are we not going to Gand first as planned?"

Obi-Wan looked over at Anakin. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Senator Amidala.

"There had to a sudden change in plan." Padame spoke from where she sat close by Senator Organa. "The Supreme Chancellor received word a few hours ago, that another Outer Rim planet has agreed to join the Galactic Republic but will only keep the offer open for 48 hours. After that they will end all further communication with the Republic."

"I understand that this causes some anxiety for you all, but this planet is crucial if we wish to obtain the allegiance of the other Outer Rims planets." The Supreme Chancellor frowned. "I would not suddenly change our plans if it was not absolutely necessary. I am terribly sorry."

"Which planet is this?" Anakin glanced out the window with curiosity, seeing only rocky mountains, and fields of ice and snow.

Penelope felt the color from her face drain as she took in the landscape that became clear with each second they got closer to the ground.

' _No... no…no!'_

She gripped the edge her seat tight when the Captain announced they would be in a minute.

"Iridescent." The Supreme Chancellor stated with a big smile. "Very hostile environment and society, but extremely valuable to the Republic's mission. With the support of the..."

Penelope stopped listening to the Chancellor as he raved about the necessity of Iridescent and its people. A sick feeling build in her stomach; her chest feeling tight with pressure. Penelope wanted to start screaming and crying at the same time when she felt the ship land. She could already feel the familiar cold seep through her clothes and into her bones.

Immediately everyone undocked the ship with the help of the Chancellor's flight crew. Two of the Chancellor's staff members guided the Supreme Chancellors and the five Senators towards where three representatives from Iridescent awaited to greet them.

Everyone around Penelope tried to brave the cold weather, while she remained unfazed by the cold weather, as they all made their way across the air field where the representatives and three cruisers waited for them. Penelope felt her stomach tie up in knots the closer they approached the representatives, afraid that she would be recognized immediately.

' _Stay calm… everything will be fine.'_

She chanted inside her head repeatedly. Her anxiety was felt immediately by Anakin and Obi-Wan while they followed behind the group, and Penelope and Master Windu each took a side of the group. Penelope could feel Obi-Wan and Anakin's stares burning into her back as they watched her with concern.

' _Relax… You'll be fine.'_

Anakin's voice echoed in Penelope's mind, trying his best sooth her fear. Obviously believing Penelope was feeling scared being on her first mission in almost a year. Penelope wished that would have been the case, but it was way worse than that. Way, way worse!

Her anxiety gradual dissipate the closer they got to the representatives, it becoming clearer with each moment that she did not recognize any of the men who waited to greet them. Penelope felt safe for a little longer, until she saw _him_ approach out of nowhere behind the representatives – gliding with ease between his men to meet the Supreme Chancellor with open arms and a huge grin.

"Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, I am so glad you could make it! Welcome to Iridescent. I am Sebastian Sharp, and I will be your host during your stay!"

' _Fuck me!'_

To be continued…

* * *

 **Thank you for reading, please review! Next chapter will be posted in 2 days!**


End file.
